Flavors of Life
by BadgerInMySoup
Summary: Connor isn't a one flavor kind of guy. Until he meets her.


AN- I'm so desperate to get to 100 fics before 2011 that I'm just sort of posting things. I hope that they are not giant piles of sucker-y. Please, do not be afraid to tell me so.

On that note, here is my newest obsession: Connor/Miranda.

* * *

So, honestly, Connor doesn't get it. Yeah, girls are attractive but the whole 'girlfriend' thing doesn't appeal to him. It's like going to get ice cream and always ordering vanilla or chocolate. What's wrong with throwing some strawberry or pistachio in the mix? Or ordering more than one flavor at a time.

Sure, the 'love' factor is kind of a big deal. Anyone with eyes can see Percy would die for Annabeth (and he almost already has) and Annabeth would gladly take a knife for him (which she… already has).

And everyone knew Beckendorf really loved Silena which makes their story that much sadder.

Lately, the camp has had the privilege and delight to watch Travis chase after Katie Gardener, the dirty blonde haired, brown eyed daughter of Demeter who hates the pranks they pull on her cabin.

But, for some reason, is totally fine with dating Travis.

So now that everyone of importance in Connor's life has paired up (except for his newest pal, Leo) Connor is starting to wonder if maybe variety really is the spice of life.

This question begins to be answered for him on a sunny day in June as he prepares to enter his cabin and gets a pail full of water dumped on his head the second he pushes open the door. After spitting water out of his mouth and wiping his eyes, Connor turns to see his loyal-beyond-a-measureable-doubt brother hunched over and laughing his ass off.

"The look on your face!" Travis gasps, wiping at tears.

"Did you?" Connor's too annoyed to composite a full sentence.

Travis shakes his head, his laughter slowly diminishing. "Dude, we promised ages ago. I'd never."

"So who?" Connor is honestly stumped. Who in their right mind would prank a Stoll, let alone a Son of Hermes.

After changing his clothes, Connor decides to go some investigation. He asks all his half-siblings if they had seen any unusual people around the cabin. After many 'I-don't-knows' and countless shrugs, Connor his preparing himself for disappointment until a younger sister speaks up.

"There was a girl; she was wearing a Tree Hugger shirt."

Ah. Obviously a daughter of Demeter.

* * *

Connor decides to use his only connection in the cabin: the one and only Katie.

"I don't know who pranked you, Connor," Katie says dryly when Connor corners her the next day in the strawberry fields.

"Like you'd tell me though, right?"

Katie smirks. "While I am happy to see you finally getting a taste of your own medicine, I'm under certain obligations to assist the brother of my boyfriend. Considering, you're practically family and all."

Connor is momentarily touched; he hadn't been a big fan of the whole TravisandKatie deal because it took his brother away from their wonderful pranking hobby but hearing her talk about him like this, well, it was sweet.

"So…who did it?"

"I don't know. They won't tell me. You're going to have to figure it out yourself."

Connor vows to do just that.

* * *

He spends the rest of the afternoon interviewing just about every camper and even pays a little visit to the resident Oracle. Rachel proceeds to kick him out of the attic and add insult to injury by throwing a paintbrush at him.

He sulks on the porch for a while, his eyes following the many demigods walking around and wondering who was hiding the culprit from him.

"Having fun?"

Connor glances to his right to see an unfamiliar girl, with dark brown hair and even darker brown eyes. She's wearing jean shorts and a T-shirt with a bunny on it. She's smirking at him, her arms crossed.

"Do I know you?"

"You do, actually," the girl says, pulling her hair into a bouncy pony tail. "Indirectly."

"Care to explain?"

"Care to give me my pail back?"

Connor gapes at her for a second, before plastering a winning smile back on his face. "Okay, you're new here, so you obviously don't get it. I'm a Stoll. No one pranks Stolls. It's kind of an unwritten rule. I'm going to let this instance slide, so-"

"I know exactly who you are: Connor Stoll. One half of the famous Stoll Brothers who love to put chocolate Easter bunnies on tops of certain cabins."

"That-that was three years ago!" Connor sputters.

"And I just heard about it. So, I had to take action. Sort of a defending thing. I'm sure you understand."

"You…" Connor just stares at her and she beams at him.

"It was fun pranking you. And even more fun watching you try and figure out whodunit, playing detective and all that jazz. I might have to do it again some time."

She nods, evidently pleased that she'd rendered Connor Stoll completely speechless.

"I'll see you around."

Connor manages to shake himself out of his stupor to call out after her, "What's your name?"

She looks over her shoulder with a teasing grin. "Miranda Gardiner."

Connor leans back against the steps of the Big House and watches her walk away, her pony tail swishing with her movements. Her eyes, he thinks, so dark. Sort of reminded him of chocolate.

Yeah. Chocolate. Not a bad flavor of ice cream. Definitely not boring.

Maybe the one flavor thing isn't too bad…

* * *

AN- The end! I absolutely adore the idea of these two. They're like Travis and Katie. Only not.


End file.
